TW201904107A - Method of forming a seal, method of manufacturing a sealed unit, sealing unit, and apparatus for forming a seal - Google Patents

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for forming a seal are disclosed. In one arrangement, a first panel and a second panel are provided. A sealer material is present between the first panel and the second panel. The sealer material is in contact with the first panel and the second panel along all of a seal path. A first heating process is performed to heat metal particles derived from the sealer material along the seal path to cause fusing of the metal particles along the seal path. A second heating process is performed, separately from the first heating process, to provide a continuous weld along the seal path between the fused metal particles and the first panel and between the fused metal particles and the second panel, thereby generating a seal along the seal path.

Description

Method for forming seal, method for manufacturing seal unit, seal unit, and device for forming seal

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for forming a seal between panels, in particular for manufacturing a sealed unit, such as a vacuum insulation glass assembly or containing electronic devices (such as OLEDs) that are sensitive to atmospheric humidity Assembly of display device, OLED lighting, smart window or photovoltaic system based on perovskite and / or organic matter).

Frit sealing is a technique known for providing a sealed area between transparent panels. The frit is deposited in closed loop traces between the panels and heated to form a glass weld along the lines of the closed loop traces, thereby providing a sealed area. An oven may be used to provide heating. This method is difficult if the sealed area forms part of a large object, such as a large window unit or a large display panel, because a correspondingly larger furnace is required. In addition, since the entire object to be processed needs to be in the furnace, high temperature sensitive components (such as fine electronic devices in display panels) cannot exist, which can limit the range of objects that can be processed. Laser frit sealing is an alternative technique where laser is used to locally apply heat to the frit. This avoids the need to place the entire object in the furnace and avoids overheating the delicate components as long as they are located far enough from the glass frit. However, the temperature required to be applied to the frit for the welding process is still relatively high (typically 400-500 ° C), and significant preheating by the furnace (eg, within about 100 ° C below the final temperature) may still be required. Local application of these temperatures can generate significant thermal stresses due to uneven thermal expansion and contraction. These stresses have been found to limit the range of situations where laser frit sealing can be effectively used and / or reduce manufacturing yield, reliability, and / or product life. EP 2 124 254 A1 discloses a sealing method for sealing a piezoelectric element. This method uses a specially formulated metal paste containing metal powder and an organic solvent. The sealing method includes the following steps in order: (a) applying a metal paste to a base member or a cover member; (b) drying the metal paste and sintering at 80 ° C to 300 ° C to form a metal powder sintered body; and (c) ) The cover member is arranged on the base member, with the metal powder sintered body therebetween, and the base member and the cover member are adhered by applying pressure from one direction or two directions, while heating at least the metal powder sintered body. Pressure and heat increase the density of the sintered body of the metal powder to form a dense bonded part. Therefore, the method of EP 2 124 254 A1 again requires a relatively high temperature during the bonding process, which can limit its use to the absence of high temperature sensitive components. The pressure required during thickening can induce significant local stresses, which can limit the range of situations where bonding can be used. Finally, the metal paste needs to be carefully designed to achieve the desired function.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for forming a seal and / or manufacturing a seal unit, which at least partially solve one or more of the problems of the prior art. According to an aspect of the present invention, a method for forming a seal is provided. The method includes: providing a first panel and a second panel, wherein a sealing material is present between the first panel and the second panel, and the sealing material and the first panel are along the entire sealing path. In contact with the second panel, a first heating process is performed to heat the metal particles derived from the sealing material along the sealing path, while the sealing material is in contact with the first panel and the second panel along the entire sealing path, so that the metal particles are melted along the sealing path; And implement a second heating process separately from the first heating process to provide a continuous weld along the sealing path between the molten metal particles and the first panel and between the molten metal particles and the second panel, thereby generating along the sealing path Sealed, where the second heating process is performed using laser. Therefore, a method is provided in which a sealing material containing metal particles is located between two panels so as to contact the two panels along the entire sealing path. This is easily achieved because metal particles can flow through each other in the matrix (compared to metal atoms in a solid metal). A continuous metal layer can be produced along the sealing path by melting the metal particles after the sealing material is thus provided. A continuous metal layer can then be welded to the panel to create a seal along the seal path. This process can be implemented with far less heating than the equivalent process using glass frit, thereby reducing the thermal stress on the panel and / or adjacent functional components to be sealed between the panels, and avoiding any panel placed in the furnace need. Seals typically have lower permeability than alternatives such as thermoset plastic edge seals, thereby providing longer life for products sensitive to oxygen / moisture intrusion (e.g. OLED lighting and 3rd generation PV applications) without the need for Functional components are not compatible with high temperature processing related to glass frit. Only after the two panels are brought together and the metal particles are fused can an optically accurate interface be created between the molten metal particles and the first and second panels, thereby enabling efficient sealing along the second heating process Laser welding. This method avoids the need for difficult and time-consuming glass polishing techniques, which may otherwise be required to make panel laser welding effective. In an embodiment, the first heating process melts the metal particles along the sealing path so that the maximum gap between the molten metal particles and the first panel or the second panel along the sealing path is less than 5 microns, and optionally less than 2 microns. The maximum size of less than 1 micron as the case, less than 500 nm as the case, less than 300 nm as the case, and less than 150 nm as the case. In an embodiment, the welding is performed by laser welding using a laser configured to provide a pulse having a pulse length of less than 50 ps. This method allows welding to be achieved reliably and with very low thermal loads. In an embodiment, the method includes: depositing a sealing material on the first panel; heating the sealing material to remove a portion of the sealing material, thereby increasing the rigidity of the sealing material; and moving any one of the first panel and the second panel Or both, so that the first panel and the second panel have a facing configuration, wherein the sealing material contacts the first panel and the second panel along the entire sealing path. This method allows the sealing material to be efficiently deposited in a relatively low viscosity state. Subsequent heating increases the rigidity of the sealing material to a level suitable for resisting compression to the optimum level by the first and second panels (i.e. allowing deformation to compensate for defects or misalignment in the panel without excessive clamping force) (At the same time, it is not easy to change so that the sealing material will spread excessively when squeezed between the panels). In an alternative aspect, an apparatus for forming a seal is provided, comprising: a deposition unit configured to deposit a sealing material along a sealing path on a first panel; and a panel handler configured to move the first panel And either or both of the second panel so that the first and second panels have a facing configuration, wherein the sealing material contacts the first and second panels along the entire sealing path; the first heating unit, It is configured to heat metal particles derived from the sealing material along the sealing path, while the sealing material contacts the first panel and the second panel along the entire sealing path to melt the metal particles along the sealing path; and a second heating unit, which It is configured to provide a continuous weld between the molten metal particles and the first panel and between the molten metal particles and the second panel along the sealing path, thereby generating a seal along the sealing path, wherein the second heating unit contains the warp Shaped to provide continuous laser welding.

The embodiment relates to forming a seal between the first panel 1 and the second panel 2. Sealing can be used to make the sealing unit 5. The sealed unit may form, for example, components of a vacuum insulated glass assembly, an OLED display device, OLED lighting, a smart window, or a photovoltaic system based on perovskite and organics. An example sealing unit 5 is schematically shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The sealing unit 5 includes a first panel 1 and a second panel 2. A sealing material 4 is provided between the first panel 1 and the second panel 2. The combination of the sealing material 4, the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 seals the region 6 in the sealing unit 5. An electronic device 8 to be protected from the external environment may be provided in the area 6. The sealing material 4 is deposited along the sealing path. The first panel, the second panel, and the sealing material are configured so that the sealing material 4 contacts the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 along the entire sealing path. In addition, as will be explained in further detail below, the sealing material 4 is laser-welded to the panel so that between the sealing material 4 and the first panel 1 and between the sealing material 4 and the second panel 2 are formed along the entire sealing path. seal. In various embodiments, the sealed path at least partially surrounds the area 6 between the first panel 1 and the second panel 2. The sealed path may, for example, include a closed loop 24 of at least 95% and optionally at least 99%. An example of such a sealed path is shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 1, the sealed path may form a complete closed loop (a rectangle is shown in the example, but other shapes may be used). The seal along the seal path can be formed by laser welding along a single line along the seal path. Alternatively, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 4, the sealed path may be formed by laser welding along a plurality of parallel lines 41-43. Welding along multiple parallel lines 41-43 increases the reliability of the seal. Generally, the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 will have substantially complementary shapes (ie, such that if the respective surfaces are perfectly formed and oriented, they can be perfectly parallel to each other). In an embodiment, both the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 are substantially flat. In another embodiment, the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 are bent with a constant radius of curvature common to the two panels. Either or both of the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 may be transparent to radiation in the visible spectrum. In addition, at least one of the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 should be sufficiently transparent to the radiation used to perform the laser welding ("second heating process"-see below). Either or both of the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 may include a transparent glass material, such as silicate glass. To save cost and convenience, the silicate glass preferably contains soda lime glass. Soda-lime glass is well known in the industry and can be, for example, composed of approximately 75% silicon dioxide (SiO ₂ ), sodium oxide (Na ₂ O) from sodium carbonate (Na ₂ CO ₃ ), calcium oxide (also known as lime ( CaO)) and several trace additives. Soda-lime glass is prone to cracking when exposed to large changes in temperature and temperature gradients. The extreme localized nature of the heating required to implement the methods disclosed herein avoids these problems and allows soda-lime glass to be used with high reliability and yield. However, other transparent glass materials may be used, including, for example, materials having a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than soda lime glass (eg, borosilicate glass, fused silica, etc.). The first panel 1 and the second panel 2 have respective surfaces facing the region 6 between the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 to be sealed at a later stage (for example, the upper surface of the first panel 1 in the figure) And the lower surface of the second panel 2). The spacing between the individual surfaces may be nominally constant within the region 6. The seal provided along the sealing path forms a sealed part around the area 6 when it is finally completely sealed. A final seal is created after the desired gas or vacuum state is established in zone 6. Therefore, the method steps before final sealing may include changing the pressure or composition of the gas in the region 6. This can be achieved by connecting a suitable vacuum pump or gas source to the port leading to area 6. The port can enter the area 6 from the side (for example, through a gap in FIG. 3 (such as the gap 26), where the sealing material 4 does not complete the closed loop 24; or through one of the first panel 1 or the second panel 2 Eyelet). When the desired gas or vacuum condition is established, the port is sealed. A method and an apparatus for forming a seal and manufacturing a seal unit 5 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 5-15. FIG. 5 illustrates an initial step in which the deposition unit 11 deposits a sealing material 4 along a sealing path on the first panel 1. The nature of the deposition process is not specifically limited. In one embodiment, the deposition unit 11 is operated by moving the syringe containing the sealing material 4 along the sealing path, and using a compressed air supply system connected to the syringe to drive the sealing material 4 out of the syringe at an appropriate rate. Other printing techniques can be used. In an embodiment, the sealing material 4 contains metal particles held in a matrix. The properties of the matrix and the metal particles are not specifically limited, as long as they can perform their respective functions to form a seal between the first panel 1 and the second panel 2, as described below. In an embodiment, the matrix is non-metal. During deposition, the sealing material 4 needs to have a relatively low viscosity so that it can be deposited efficiently. Subsequently, as will be explained in further detail below, the sealing material 4 will need to provide a variety of other functions, such as making the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 contact the sealing material in a way that the sealing material and the two panels are in continuous contact along the entire sealing path 4 contact, which allows the metal particles to be fused (sintered) together, and then allows a seal to be formed by welding the molten metal particles to the first and second panels 1, 2. In an embodiment, the metal particles include one or more of the following: silver, gold, nickel, aluminum, and / or copper. Preferably, the metal particles include silver and / or copper. The metal particles may include metal particles and / or metal nano particles. The base may be a liquid or a paste. The matrix may include an organic carrier or a combination of organic carriers, for example, the matrix may include ethanol and / or ethylene glycol. In an embodiment, the matrix comprises one or more of the following: epoxy, acrylic, and polyurethane. In a subsequent step, as shown in FIG. 6, the heating unit 12 removes (by heating) a portion of the sealing material, such as a substrate (eg, an organic vehicle or a combination of organic vehicles) that holds the metal particles of the sealing material, or the entire substrate. Volatile or easily vaporizable components. Removing the portion of the sealing material increases the rigidity of the sealing material 4 (increases the viscosity of the sealing material 4). Heating can be applied in a variety of ways. Generally, only relatively low temperatures will be required to achieve adequate removal of volatile components, such as for a few minutes (e.g., 1-10 minutes) in a region of 100 ° C. The heating may be applied to the entire first panel 1 and the second panel 2 at the same time, or may be applied in a localized manner (for example, using a mobile infrared lamp or a laser). Increasing the rigidity of the sealing material 4 desirably increases the resistance to deformation of the sealing material 4 during subsequent steps, which is schematically illustrated in Figs. 7-9, where the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 are brought into a facing configuration . The facing configuration causes the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 to sandwich the sealing material 4 therebetween to ensure that the sealing material 4 and the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 are in full contact along the entire sealing path. In the embodiment shown, this process is implemented using a panel handler 13. The panel handler 13 can grasp one or both of the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 and provide a controlled relative movement therebetween. The panel handler 13 moves one or both of the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 so that the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 have a facing configuration. In the example of FIG. 7, the panel handler 13 only grasps the second panel 2 and moves the second panel 2 down onto the first panel 1. Then, the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 are pressed together, as shown in FIG. 8. The facing configuration makes the sealing material 4 contact the first panel and the second panel along the entire sealing path. This is achieved by slightly deforming the sealing material 4 along the sealing path when the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 are pressed together. The distortion compensates for irregularities in the first panel 1, irregularities in the second panel 2, and / or misalignment of the first panel 1 relative to the second panel 2 (as shown schematically in FIG. 9). In the embodiment, after the sealing material is heated, the rigidity of the sealing material 4 is such that the height of the sealing material 4 moves one or both of the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 so that the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 Can be reduced by at least 5%, at least 10% as the case may be, at least 25% as the case may be, at least 50% as the case may be, at least 75% as the case may be, and at least 90% as the case without damaging the first panel 1 Or the risk of the second panel 2 or the interruption of the continuity of the sealing material 4 along the sealing path. FIG. 12 shows a typical surface profile of the sealing material 4 interposed between the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 in the facing configuration. Deformation (flattening) of the upper surface of the beads of the sealing material 4 was observed, but the sealing material 4 did not excessively diffuse laterally. As shown in FIG. 10, in a subsequent step, the heating unit 21 heats the metal particles derived from the sealing material along the sealing path to melt the metal particles along the sealing path. The metal particles may be derived, for example, by removing at least a portion of the matrix holding the metal particles, or by initiating a chemical reaction that causes the metal particles to self-seal a component of the sealing material (eg, from an organometallic component) or precipitate from the sealing material. Heating may be referred to as a first heating process (a second heating process is described below). In one embodiment, the heating is performed in an oven in a temperature range of 150 ° C to 200 ° C for several tens of minutes (for example, 50 minutes for a micron / nanoparticle-based sealant material). The melting of the metal particles effectively forms a continuous metal path along the sealed path. The continuous metal path is in continuous contact with the first panel 1 along one side, and is in continuous contact with the second panel 2 along the other side. As a result, the melting process has not yet been firmly formed or a seal has not been formed at all. The fusion process provides only the continuous metal path necessary to produce a seal using laser welding in subsequent steps. In an embodiment, the first heating process melts the metal particles along the sealing path so that the maximum gap between the molten metal particles and the first panel or the second panel along the sealing path is less than 5 microns, and optionally less than 2 microns. The maximum size of less than 1 micron as the case, less than 500 nm as the case, less than 300 nm as the case, and less than 150 nm as the case. FIG. 13 is a SEM image showing a continuous metal surface of the sealing material treated in this manner. In an embodiment, the heating unit 21 includes a laser, such as a diode-excited solid-state laser, a fiber laser, a laser diode, or a CO ₂ laser. Lasers can be configured to provide continuous wave (CW) laser beams or quasi-continuous wave (quasi-CW) laser beams. Alternatively, the laser may be configured to provide a pulsed laser beam. Lasers preferably provide laser beams with wavelengths in the range of approximately 500 nm to 11000 nm. The heating unit 21 is movably mounted and / or a beam scanning optic can be provided to move the laser light spot from the heating unit 21 along the entire sealed path. The heating unit 21 may alternatively include an IR lamp, a microwave source, or an ultrasonic source. As illustrated in FIG. 11, in a subsequent step, the heating unit 22 provides a continuous weld along a sealed path. Continuous welds are provided between the molten metal particles and the first panel 1 and between the molten metal particles and the second panel 2 (ie, on both sides of the sealing material 4). Continuous welds form a seal along the seal path. The sealing is to prevent the gas between the inner surface 4 a (see FIG. 1) of the sealing material 4 and the outer surface 4 b of the sealing material 4 from directly passing through the sealing material 4. Therefore, the welding process makes no gap between the sealing material 4 and any of the first panel 1 and the second panel 2. Welding glass lasers to metals has recently been shown in general. Laser welding can be performed using lasers configured to provide pulse lengths of less than 50 ps, optionally less than 15 ps, optionally less than 1 ps, and optionally less than 500 fs. The laser preferably provides a laser beam having a wavelength of about 500 nm to 1100 nm. The repetition rate can typically be in the range of 100 kHz to 2 MHz. A relatively high repetition rate can be expected to allow heat buildup between successive pulses. Each pulse needs to arrive before the heat energy from the previous pulse is dissipated, which usually takes about one microsecond. In addition, since the relative geometric displacement required between successive light spots may be fixed, increasing the repetition rate allows processing to proceed faster along the weld line, thereby improving yield. The heating unit 22 may include a first heating unit sub-unit 22a configured to provide welding on an interface between the sealing material 4 and the first panel 1; and a second heating unit sub-unit 22b configured to provide Welding is provided on the interface between the sealing material 4 and the second panel 2. Therefore, welding can be achieved by directing the laser onto the sealing material 4 from both sides. The heating unit 22 (including the first heating unit sub-unit 22a and the second heating unit sub-unit 22b, if provided) is movably mounted and / or a beam scanning optic may be provided to enable a laser light spot from the heating unit 22 Move along the entire sealed path. The amount of energy deposited into the sealing material 4 using these laser parameters is extremely small, and is typically on the order of less than, for example, the energy required to perform the melting of the metal particles (implemented by the heating unit 21) in the previous step. Select / control the pulse energy, repetition rate, laser spot size, and the relative moving speed (light spot speed) between the laser spot and the interface to be welded to optimize the welding process. The pulse repetition rate and spot speed cause the laser spots associated with individual pulses to overlap along the sealed path. Detailed techniques are described in, for example, the following two publications: 1) Zhang et al., APPLIED OPTICS, Volume 54, Issue 30, 8957-8961 (October 20, 2015); and 2) Carter et al., APPLIED OPTICS, Volume 53, Number 19, 4233-4238 (July 1, 2014). Zhang et al. Teach that, for example, a 800 nm Ti: sapphire chirped pulsed femtosecond laser system can be used with a repetition rate of 1 kHz and a pulse duration of 160 fs focused on a spot of light with a diameter of 8 microns. Using pulse energy in the range of 1-35 microJoules, in which the relative speed of light spot movement is 30-800 microns / second. Carter et al. Used a 1030 nm laser with a 7.12 ps pulse and a repetition rate of 400 kHz. The laser power is 1.79 W, with a spot size of 1.2 microns and a spot speed of 1 mm / sec. The techniques disclosed in Zhang et al. And Carter et al. Are applied to solid metals, rather than metals formed from the sealing material 4 that has been processed to fuse metal particles together. It is difficult to perform laser welding over a large distance using solid metal because it is difficult to ensure continuous contact between the solid metal and the glass surface on the entire line to be welded. Any voids that actually exist need to be small enough so that the two interfaces are still within the focal depth of the laser and small enough to contain any plasma. If the plasma escapes, ablation will occur instead of welding, which will break the seal and damage glass and / or metal. One way to solve this problem is to clamp the metal and glass together, but this can introduce undesirable stresses into the glass and / or be inconvenient. The present inventors have recognized that these challenges can be achieved by providing a sealing material 4 containing metal particles instead of solid metal, and after treating the sealing material 4 by sandwiching the sealing material 4 with the first and second panels 1, 2 to The metal particles are fused together to prepare a weld to overcome. Continuous contact between the molten metal particles and the surfaces of the first and second panels 1, 2 to be soldered can be reliably achieved over a large distance without requiring a large clamping force. The effectiveness of the welding process is illustrated in the surface profiles shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. The figure shows how the welding process causes the metal of the sealing material 4 to be significantly embedded in the material of the panel, thereby forming a continuous groove in the panel along the sealing path. The example shown is of the type discussed above with reference to FIG. 4, in which a plurality of parallel weld lines 41-43 are formed along a sealed path. The plurality of welding lines 41-43 can be seen in FIG. The plurality of welding lines 41-43 are not visible in FIG. 15, but this can be attributed to damage caused by pulling apart the welding portion to generate an image. Additional embodiments are disclosed in the following numbered clauses. 1. A method for forming a seal, the method comprising: providing a first panel and a second panel, wherein a sealing material exists between the first panel and the second panel, and the sealing material communicates with the first panel and the second panel along an entire sealing path. Contacting, performing a first heating process to heat the metal particles derived from the sealing material along the sealing path, while the sealing material is in contact with the first panel and the second panel along the entire sealing path to melt the metal particles along the sealing path; and The heating process implements a second heating process separately to provide a continuous weld along the sealing path between the molten metal particles and the first panel and between the molten metal particles and the second panel, thereby creating a seal along the sealing path, where : The second heating process is performed using laser. 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the metal particles are melted along the sealing path by the first heating process so that the maximum gap between the molten metal particles and the first panel or the second panel along the sealing path has a maximum of less than 500 nm size. 3. The method of clause 1 or 2 wherein the second heating process is performed using a laser that is configured to provide a pulse having a pulse length of less than 50 ps. 4. The method of any of the preceding clauses, wherein providing the first panel and the second panel comprises the following steps in order: depositing a sealing material on the first panel; heating the sealing material to remove a portion of the sealing material, thereby increasing the sealing material Rigidity; and moving either or both of the first panel and the second panel so that the first panel and the second panel have a facing configuration, wherein the sealing material follows the entire sealing path with the first panel and the second panel contact. 5. The method of clause 4, wherein the rigidity of the sealing material after the heating of the sealing material causes the height of the sealing material to move either or both of the first panel and the second panel so that the first panel and The second panel can be reduced by at least 5% during the facing configuration, thereby compensating for one or more of the following: irregularities of the first panel, irregularities of the second panel, and the first panel relative to the second panel Misaligned. 6. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the sealed path at least partially surrounds an area between the first panel and the second panel. 7. The method of clause 6, wherein the sealed path contains at least 95% of the closed loop. 8. The method of clause 6 or 7 wherein the continuous welds are provided along the sealed path along a plurality of parallel lines. 9. The method of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the metal particles comprise one or more of the following: silver, gold, nickel, aluminum, copper. 10. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the metal particles comprise metal particles or metal nanoparticles. 11. A method as in any preceding clause, wherein the sealing material comprises metal particles held in a matrix. 12. The method of clause 11, wherein the matrix comprises a liquid or a paste. 13. The method of any of the preceding clauses, further comprising changing the pressure or composition of the gas in an area at least partially surrounded by the sealed path and then sealing the area. 14. The method of any preceding clause, wherein either or both of the first panel and the second panel are transparent to radiation in the visible spectrum. 15. The method of any of the preceding clauses, wherein either or both of the first panel and the second panel comprise a transparent glass material, preferably silicate glass, more preferably soda lime glass. 16. A method of manufacturing a sealed unit including a first panel and a second panel, the method comprising forming a seal between the first panel and the second panel using a method as in any of the foregoing clauses. 17. A sealed unit manufactured using the method of clause 16. 18. A device for forming a seal, comprising: a deposition unit configured to deposit a sealing material on a first panel along a sealing path; a panel handler configured to move the first panel and the second panel Either or both, so that the first panel and the second panel have a facing configuration, wherein the sealing material contacts the first panel and the second panel along the entire sealing path; the first heating unit is configured to The metal particles derived from the sealing material are heated along the sealing path, while the sealing material contacts the first panel and the second panel along the entire sealing path to melt the metal particles along the sealing path; and the second heating unit is configured to The sealed path provides a continuous weld between the molten metal particles and the first panel and between the molten metal particles and the second panel, thereby creating a seal along the sealed path, wherein the second heating unit includes a configuration to provide continuous welding. Laser. 19. The device of clause 18, wherein the laser is configured to provide a pulse having a pulse length of less than 50 ps. 20. The device of clause 18 or 19, further comprising: a third heating unit configured to remove a portion of the sealing material by heating, thereby increasing the rigidity of the sealing material, wherein: the panel handler is configured to After increasing the rigidity of the sealing material by the third heating unit, either or both of the first panel and the second panel are moved to the facing configuration. 21. The device of any of clauses 18 to 20, wherein the sealed path at least partially surrounds an area between the first panel and the second panel. 22. The device of clause 21, further comprising a gas control and sealing device configured to change the pressure or composition of the gas in an area at least partially surrounded by the sealing path and subsequently sealing the area.

1‧‧‧First Panel

2‧‧‧Second Panel

4‧‧‧sealing material

4a‧‧‧Inner surface

4b‧‧‧outer surface

5‧‧‧sealed unit

6‧‧‧ area

8‧‧‧Electronics

11‧‧‧ deposition unit

12‧‧‧ heating unit

13‧‧‧ Panel Disposer

21‧‧‧Heating unit

22‧‧‧Heating Unit

22a‧‧‧First heating unit subunit

22b‧‧‧Second heating unit subunit

24‧‧‧ closed loop

26‧‧‧Gap

41-43‧‧‧parallel line, parallel welding line

The present invention will be further explained by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a sealing unit formed using the method of the embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the sealing unit of FIG. 1 along the line AA; An example seal path forming at least 95% of a closed loop is shown; Figure 4 is a schematic top view of a portion of the seal path viewed through a panel, which shows a plurality of parallel welding lines in the sealing material; Figure 5-11 is a drawing Schematic side view of the stages in the example method of forming a seal; Figure 12 shows data obtained from a white light interferometer that processed the sealing material to increase the rigidity of the sealing material and then by placing the panel in a facing configuration to thereby After the sealing material is sandwiched between it and the sealing material is subsequently flattened, the surface profile of a part of the sealing material is measured; FIG. 13 is a SEM image of the surface of the sealing material after the metal particles in the sealing material are melted; FIG. 14 shows Data obtained from a white light interferometer. After the white light interferometer has been removed from the corresponding part of the panel, the welded part of the sealing material is measured. Figure 15 shows the data obtained from the white light interferometer. After the white light interferometer has been removed from the corresponding portion of the panel, the portion of the panel corresponding to the welded portion of the sealing material shown in FIG. Surface contour.

Claims (22)

A method for forming a seal includes: providing a first panel and a second panel, wherein a sealing material is present between the first panel and the second panel, the sealing material is along the entire sealing path with the first panel and the second panel; The second panel contacts, and a first heating process is performed to heat the metal particles derived from the sealing material along the sealing path, and at the same time, the sealing material contacts the first panel and the second panel along the entire sealing path, so that the Metal particles are melted along the sealed path; and a second heating process separate from the first heating process is performed to follow the sealed path between the molten metal particles and the first panel and between the molten metal particles and Continuous welding is provided between the second panels, thereby creating a seal along the sealing path, wherein: the second heating process is performed using a laser. The method of claim 1, wherein the melting of the metal particles along the sealing path by the first heating process is such that between the molten metal particles and the first panel or the second panel along the sealing path The largest void has a largest dimension of less than 5 microns. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the second heating process is performed using a laser configured to provide a pulse having a pulse length of less than 50 ps. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the providing of the first panel and the second panel includes the following steps in order: depositing the sealing material on the first panel; heating the sealing material to remove the sealing material A part to increase the rigidity of the sealing material; and moving either or both of the first panel and the second panel so that the first panel and the second panel have a facing configuration, wherein the The sealing material is in contact with the first panel and the second panel along the entire sealing path. The method of claim 4, wherein the rigidity of the sealant material after the heating of the sealant material causes the height of the sealant material to move in either or both of the first panel and the second panel so that The first panel and the second panel can be reduced by at least 5% during the facing configuration, thereby compensating for one or more of the following: irregularities of the first panel, irregularities of the second panel And misalignment of the first panel relative to the second panel. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealed path at least partially surrounds an area between the first panel and the second panel. The method of claim 6, wherein the sealed path contains at least 95% of the closed loop. The method of claim 6, wherein the continuous welding is provided along the seal path along a plurality of parallel lines. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the metal particles include one or more of the following: silver, gold, nickel, aluminum, copper. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the metal particles include metal particles or metal nanoparticles. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing material comprises the metal particles held in a matrix. The method of claim 11, wherein the base comprises a liquid or a paste. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising changing the pressure or composition of the gas in an area at least partially surrounded by the sealed path and then sealing the area. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein either or both of the first panel and the second panel are transparent to radiation in the visible spectrum. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein either or both of the first panel and the second panel comprise a transparent glass material, preferably silicate glass, more preferably soda lime glass. A method of manufacturing a sealed unit including a first panel and a second panel, the method comprising forming a seal between the first panel and the second panel using a method as in any one of claims 1 to 15. A sealed unit is manufactured using a method as claimed in claim 16. A device for forming a seal includes: a deposition unit configured to deposit a sealing material on a first panel along a sealing path; a panel handler configured to move the first panel and the second panel Either or both, so that the first panel and the second panel have a facing configuration, wherein the sealing material is in contact with the first panel and the second panel along the entire sealing path; a first heating unit, It is configured to heat metal particles derived from the sealing material along the sealing path, and at the same time, the sealing material contacts the first panel and the second panel along the entire sealing path so that the metal particles follow the sealing path Melting; and a second heating unit configured to provide continuous welding between the molten metal particles and the first panel and between the molten metal particles and the second panel along the sealing path, by This creates a seal along the seal path, wherein the second heating unit includes a laser configured to provide the continuous weld. The device of claim 18, wherein the laser is configured to provide a pulse having a pulse length of less than 50 ps. The device of claim 18 or 19, further comprising: a third heating unit configured to remove a portion of the sealing material by heating, thereby increasing the rigidity of the sealing material, wherein: the panel handler is configured After the rigidity of the sealing material is increased by the third heating unit, one or both of the first panel and the second panel are moved into the facing configuration. The device of claim 18 or 19, wherein the sealed path at least partially surrounds an area between the first panel and the second panel. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a gas control and sealing device configured to change the pressure or composition of the gas in the area at least partially surrounded by the sealing path and then sealing the area.